Incidence and risk factors associated with exertional rhabdomyolysis syndrome in National Hunt racehorses in Great Britain

A telephone survey of 51 National Hunt racing yards with 1140 horses in training was made in April and May 2003 to establish the incidence of exertional rhabdomyolysis syndrome during the previous year. A case-control study was used to investigate the risk factors for the syndrome in eight yards selected on the basis that cases had been confirmed by the analysis of serum muscle enzymes. The overall incidence of syndrome was 6 center dot 1 cases per 100 horses per year, and 55 per cent of the yards reported at least one case. The risk factors identified were sex, the average length of the training gallop, and the type of horse (steeplechaser, bumper/unraced or hurdler). There were no significant associations with the horses' temperament, age or Timeform rating.

Tetraphyllidean metacestodes of teleosts of the Great Barrier Reef, and the use of in vitro cultivation to identify them

The tetraphyllidean metacestode diversity of 310 teleost fishes, including 87 species from 31 families, was examined from Heron Island, The Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Eleven metacestode 'types' were identified with the use of light microscopy. Host-specificity varied greatly among metacestode types. Incorporation of in vitro cultivation allowed generic identification for some types. Types 1 and 2 belong to Uncibilocularis Southwell, 1925, and have triloculate bothridia and one pair of Forked hooks with unequal prongs; Type 3 has quadriloculate bothridia. Hook development was insufficient to determine in which genus, Acanthobothrium van Beneden, 1849 or Calliobothrium van Beneden, 1850, this type may belong. Type 4 has unilocular bothridia with simple edges and belongs to Anthobothrium van Beneden, 1850. Type 5 has multiloculated bothridia which are invaginated within pouches. This type belongs to the Rhinebothriinae although its generic identity cannot be determined. The bothridia of Type 5 everted within 24 hours of in vitro cultivation and revealed the presence of two forms, one having 48 loculi per bothridium, the other 72 per bothridium. In vitro studies provide additional support for existing theories of onchobothriid scolex development.

A new genus of viviparous gyrodactylid (Monogenea) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia with descriptions of seven new species

Acanthoplacatus gen. nov., a new genus of viviparous gyrodactylid, is described from the rns and skin of siganid fishes from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. The genus is characterized by a muscular, tube-like haptor with 16 marginal hooks on the posterior margin. The ventral lobe of the haptor is located anteriorly relative to the dorsal lobe and contains a pair of hamuli and a ventral bar with posteriorly-projecting ventral bar membrane. A dorsal bar is absent. Five pairs of posterior gland cells surround the posterior terminations of the gut. The male copulatory organ is a muscular, non-eversible bulb with several spines around the distal opening. Species of Acanthoplacatus have a bilateral excretory system consisting of six pairs of flame cells and a pair of excretory bladders. Seven new species are described: Acanthoplacatus adlardi sp. nov. and A. amplihamus sp. nov. from Siganus punctatus (Forster, 1801), A. brauni sp. nov. from S. corallinus (Valenciennes, 1835), A. parvihamus sp. nov. from S. vulpinus (Schlegel and Mueller, 1845), A. puelli sp. nov. from S. puellus Schlegel, 1852, A. shieldsi sp. nov. from S. lineatus (Valenciennes, 1835) and A. sigani sp. nov. from S. fuscescens (Houttuyn, 1782). Species can be discriminated by shape and size of the hamuli, marginal hooks and ventral bar and by male copulatory organ sclerite morphology. Three species (A. brauni sp. nov., A. shieldsi sp. nov. and A. sigani sp. nov.) were assessed for seasonal variation of sclerite size. Ten of thirteen morphological characters showed seasonal variation in size for at least one of the species. The characters were longer in winter except dorsal root tissue cap width. Only one character, marginal hook length, showed significant seasonal variation for all three species. Species of Acanthoplacatus were observed to attach using only the marginal hooks and the role of hamuli in attachment is unclear. The dorsal rn of the host is the preferred site for most species but the anal fin, caudal fin and body surfaces are preferred by some species. Prevalences for species range from 57 to 100%.

Gene flow in great bustard populations across the Strait of Gibraltar as elucidated from excremental PCR and mtDNA sequencing

Recent advances in molecular biology have made it possible to use the trace amounts of DNA in faeces to non-invasively sample endangered species for genetic studies. Here we use faeces as a source of DNA and mtDNA sequence data to elucidate the relationship among Spanish and Moroccan populations of great bustards. 834 bp of combined control region and cytochrome-b mtDNA fragments revealed four variable sites that defined seven closely related haplotypes in 54 individuals. Morocco was fixed for a single mtDNA haplotype that occurs at moderate frequency (28%) in Spain. We could not differentiate among the sampled Spanish populations of Caceres and Andalucia but these combined populations were differentiated from the Moroccan population. Estimates of gene flow (Nm = 0.82) are consistent with extensive observations on the southern Iberian peninsular indicating that few individuals fly across the Strait of Gibraltar. We demonstrate that both this sea barrier and mountain barriers in Spain limit dispersal among adjacent great bustard populations to a similar extent. The Moroccan population is of high ornithological significance as it holds the only population of great bustards in Africa. This population is critically small and genetic and observational data indicate that it is unlikely to be recolonised via immigration from Spain should it be extirpated. In light of the evidence presented here it deserves the maximum level of protection.